Sexting, Should It Be A Felony?

[Principessa]

Porn charges for 'sexting' stir debate
Should teens who send racy photos face serious felony charges?
By Martha Irvine
The Associated Press - updated 4:00 p.m. ET, Wed., Feb. 4, 2009


CHICAGO - Though youth is fleeting, images sent on a cell phone or posted online may not be, especially if they're naughty.

Teenagers' habit of distributing nude self-portraits electronically — often called "sexting" if it's done by cell phone — has parents and school administrators worried. Some prosecutors have begun charging teens who send and receive such images with child pornography and other serious felonies. But is that the best way to handle it?

"Hopefully we'll get the message out to these kids," says Michael McAlexander, a prosecutor in Allen County, Ind., which includes Fort Wayne. A teenage boy there is facing felony obscenity charges for allegedly sending a photo of his private parts to several female classmates. Another boy was recently charged with child pornography in a similar case.

In some cases, the photos are sent to harass other teens or to get attention. Other times, they're viewed as a high-tech way to flirt. Either way, law enforcement officials want it to stop, even if it means threatening to add "sex offender" to a juvenile's confidential record.

"We don't want to throw these kids in jail," McAlexander says. "But we want them to think."



Whatever the outcome, the mere fact that child pornography charges were filed at all is stirring debate among students and adults.

 

[nicenycdick]

Clearly, another category of offense must be carved out. While "sexting" is something we shouldn't encourage (certainly if it is uninvited or malicious), I don't believe that these kids should have to bear the stigma of a sexual offender tag for the rest of their lives. After all, they are just doing what they see the rest of society doing...using the internet for sex. If we are going to recognize that the sexternet is with us for good, then we have to create penalties that fit the offense. It is not the same as a 42 year old man send photos of his penis to 13 year old girls...and it shouldn't be punished in the same way.

 

[Skull Mason]

If parents or school administrators are concerned about this, THEN TAKE AWAY THE CELL PHONES!!! Ban them from school! Don't give your daughter a new razr if you think she is going to use it to look at pictures from lpsg. None of us grew up with cell phones, they should be able to deal without them, and maybe develop some social skills in the meantime.

 

[Deno]

I totally agree, why should children be able to get there hands on every piece of technology available to adults. Show some restraint people.

 

[D_Portelay Porquesword]

Now days it's all too much too soon. Even with proper parenting and positive enforcment of the rules, kids now days are exposed to more than previous generations and it is getting worse.

 

[schwulboy1989]

i work in a restaurant...and you wouldn't believe how many 11 year olds come into the restaurant texting and talking on their own cell phones...

i didn't get a phone until my junior year of high school because i finally got my permit and my mom wanted me to have a phone..

also, kids are allowed too much freedom on the internet, and it's SO frustrating to see families allow their kids to bring portable dvd players and game systems to the restaurant...

call me old fashioned, but it's getting out of hand...

i know someone who calls us the "Myspace Generation"...i have to agree.

 

[schwulboy1989]

also, yes...i think it should be some level of crime...i'm not sure how bad, but it does coincide with national laws...and makes complete sense.

 

[midlifebear]

What Skull Mason said multiplied by 2 or more.

 

[goodwood]

i wonder in what manner the parents of these children disciplined them.
i haven't heard about the ramifications the kids experienced from their
parents.
i would think at the very least no cell phone for a looong time.
i think it is unnecessary for children of 10 or 11 years old to be having their own cell phones. i can understand the need for a basic phone for kids whose parents work and are frequently alone when they are 15 or older so they can check in with parents about after school activities, sports, letting parents know their wherabouts should plans change but seriously, how do parents think that by giving 10-14 year olds a phone equipped with net, pic.,vid. is going to help them?

 

[D_CountVonBhigBohner]

You're kidding right? So it's ok for you to do it here...but if a 17 yr old sends a pic of his cock to his GF it's not? LOL I love guys like you....."Do as I say, Not as I do".

I think it's a friggin joke that we would create yet another government agency to police cell images, and throw teens (or anyone) in jail.

i wonder in what manner the parents of these children disciplined them.
i haven't heard about the ramifications the kids experienced from their
parents.
i would think at the very least no cell phone for a looong time.
i think it is unnecessary for children of 10 or 11 years old to be having their own cell phones. i can understand the need for a basic phone for kids whose parents work and are frequently alone when they are 15 or older so they can check in with parents about after school activities, sports, letting parents know their wherabouts should plans change but seriously, how do parents think that by giving 10-14 year olds a phone equipped with net, pic.,vid. is going to help them?

 

[D_CountVonBhigBohner]

I don't BELIEVE the bullshit I'm reading. Are you all freakin nuts? 14 year olds shouldn't have cell phones? too much too soon? LOL

 

[D_CountVonBhigBohner]

What about the 17 yr olds who come in your restaurant dude? 17 is illegal too!....should we lock them up too? I see you reference 1989 in your SN. Are you 20? Do you mean to tell me nobody saw your dick until you were 18?

This is a joke.

i work in a restaurant...and you wouldn't believe how many 11 year olds come into the restaurant texting and talking on their own cell phones...

i didn't get a phone until my junior year of high school because i finally got my permit and my mom wanted me to have a phone..

also, kids are allowed too much freedom on the internet, and it's SO frustrating to see families allow their kids to bring portable dvd players and game systems to the restaurant...

call me old fashioned, but it's getting out of hand...

i know someone who calls us the "Myspace Generation"...i have to agree.

 

[MickeyLee]

how about parents just raise their children? stop plunking 2.0 you down in front of a television or a computer screen and expecting them to have the maturity to deal with everything they will be exposed to.

kids under 12, if they need a cell phone, should have out going call restrictions. mom, dad, a few other adults, 911, a select screened group of friends. the older more mature the kid the more ya loose the reigns.

if you teach your child ethics, boundaries and a little bit of self worth beyond the attention of peers they just might have enough sense of self to avoid the truly stupid pitfalls of youth.

*grumbles at the breeders* while i'm bitching. stop making sex into the boogie man. its better to teach a realistic set of ethic in regard to sex. deal with owning your body and sexual health. remind girls being comfortable with your sexuality is not being sexually available.

ml

bad sextxting should be punishable by death.

edit: i got a bit ranty. sorry. the idea of punishing and attaching a sex offender record to a young person is insane. all cases sited are the newest version of flirting and testing limits. sexual experimentation has met technology. how are people even shocked something like sexting goes on? get over a collective discomfort with youth sexuality.

there is no sexual assault. there is no kiddie porn angle. should 15 yr old kids shoot nude pics over the internet? ideally going with no as the answer. should they go to jail? hell fucking no. should they face criminal charges? nope.

adults soliciting pics or sending pic to children. bad. sexual images sent to the point of or as harassment. bad.

 

[goodwood]

tekken -
good point.
i am thirty eight years old and communicate with people
relatively similar of age. so is it okay that i do 'this' here? YES.
If you think not, then YOU should not be on this site.

this thread is about very young children and that is the matter
i addressed in my response.

 

[goodwood]

tekken -
what were you doing when you were fourteen years old?
were you living it up on your cell phone? were you sexting
your heart away with your parents blessing?
many people here did not have cell phones when they were
teenagers and somehow managed to turn out all right. The idea
that adults should set some limits and boundaries is perfectly appropriate.

 

[Gl3nn]

If parents or school administrators are concerned about this, THEN TAKE AWAY THE CELL PHONES!!! Ban them from school! Don't give your daughter a new razr if you think she is going to use it to look at pictures from lpsg. None of us grew up with cell phones, they should be able to deal without them, and maybe develop some social skills in the meantime.

Banning them from school, as in: teens can't use cell phones in school. I'm ok with that, nothing wrong with it.

But taking phones away? You say they have to develop social skills... a lot of teens spend a lot of time indoors these days because of video games, television and the internet. You should be happy if they phone each other, it's more social than the internet.

You grew up without cellphones... Yeah, well people grew up without computers 50 years ago, does that mean you can be without them these days? No. Times change...

how about parents just raise their children? stop plunking 2.0 you down in front of a television or a computer screen and expecting them to have the maturity to deal with everything they will be exposed to.

kids under 12, if they need a cell phone, should have out going call restrictions. mom, dad, a few other adults, 911, a select screened group of friends. the older more mature the kid the more ya loose the reigns.

if you teach your child ethics, boundaries and a little bit of self worth beyond the attention of peers they just might have enough sense of self to avoid the truly stupid pitfalls of youth.

*grumbles at the breeders* while i'm bitching. stop making sex into the boogie man. its better to teach a realistic set of ethic in regard to sex. deal with owning your body and sexual health. remind girls being comfortable with your sexuality is not being sexually available.

ml

bad sextxting should be punishable by death.

edit: i got a bit ranty. sorry. the idea of punishing and attaching a sex offender record to a young person is insane. all cases sited are the newest version of flirting and testing limits. sexual experimentation has met technology. how are people even shocked something like sexting goes on? get over a collective discomfort with youth sexuality.

there is no sexual assault. there is no kiddie porn angle. should 15 yr old kids shoot nude pics over the internet? ideally going with no as the answer. should they go to jail? hell fucking no. should they face criminal charges? nope.

adults soliciting pics or sending pic to children. bad. sexual images sent to the point of or as harassment. bad.

Well said, I couldn't agree with you more. Maybe the call restrictions are a bit much, but the general message is so true. Parents need to teach kids some ethics and how to behave.

Also, whoever wants to sue the kids are complete idiots. They're kids. Their parents should teach them that what they're doing is risky and that they shouldn't do this. As adults, they can do what they wants, but as long as they are young, they shouldn't be doing this. Of course, not all of them would listen, but you can't control everything.


And lastly... you guys (not the people that I'm quoting, but just the majority in this thread) act like all minors are doing this. Very few do this. Maybe more than I would think, but certainly not the majority of minors.

 

[scarletfury]

We can already go online and download/send all the sexual imagery we could ever want... but doing it on a phone is illegal?

Holy fuckballs is that stupid. No, it shouldn't be illegal. lol.